Whether big or small, marine crime has a big impact on its victims and can generate fear among boating communities. The first step to tackling the problem is ensuring that you’ve done everything you can to protect yourself from boat theft.

The following tips should help you to have peace of mind that you’ve left your boat and its belongings as secure as they can be.

1. Never leave anything valuable on display, this includes items lose in the cockpit or on deck such as rope and fenders.

2. If you can, take any valuables off the boat with you, or make sure you lock them away and keep the curtains drawn when the boat is empty so thieves can’t see inside. If you’re unable to take some items with you, ensure you mark them and photographs of the item.

3. Stickers stating that all valuables have been removed from the boat is also another good deterrent.

4. Make sure you use strong padlocks to secure any cupboards. Fit good strong locks and hinges where possible and invest in an alarm if one can be placed on the vessel.

5. Keep your life raft and engine secure as these are some of the most valuable items on your boat. You can get locks specifically designed for outboard engines that hold up against strong attempts at removal.

6. If you need to step away from the ignition, always take the key with you.

7. Keep a list of all the serial numbers on valuables like your radio, navigation equipment or outboard engine. In the event that your boat is broken into, you’ll have copies to pass the police, making it easier for them to trace stolen items back to you. It’s also worth making a note of any scratches or marks your equipment has, as it could help identify it in the event it is stolen.

8. Mark everything you buy for your boat with your postcode and contact details.

9. Keep your boat keys separate to your engine keys, so should either of them be stolen, a thief won’t have access to both.

10. Make sure you’re part of the Boatmark scheme, which will see your boat given an electronic tag, programmed with a unique 14-character Hull Identification Number.

If you’re concerned about theft in your area, consider setting up a watch with your local sailing club or motor group so that vessels are checked over regularly. Frequent patrols should also help deter thieves from targeting you in the first place.

Those who do become victims of marine crime are encouraged to contact their local police force on 101. In the event that anything is stolen from your boat, it’s worth checking sites such as eBay and Gumtree in case whoever stole your property attempts to sell it on. You should contact the police if you recognise any items being sold online that you believe to be yours.

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The post Protecting yourself from boat theft appeared first on YBW.

Owning your own boat can be expensive enough, without all the ongoing costs such as marine fuel so we’ve got some great tips to help you save money on fuel for your vessel.

A few simple checks and changes in how you use your boat could see you gain a saving of up to 10%. It might not seem like a massive amount of money but cumulatively you could make significant savings and also reduce the amount of smoke and noise your boat produces.

1. Don’t be a drag
Just like on a car, objects on the top of your boat will create excessive air drag and reduce the miles you achieve per gallon, as well as your speed. In order to prevent this, when using your boat, remove the cockpit cover or bimini. It goes without saying that the cleaner the lines of your boat are, the better the fuel economy.

If you can also avoid towing a tender then you’ll also help to reduce your fuel consumption.

2. Trim
Having the incorrect trim on your vessel is also another big culprit of wasted fuel. Cruising with the bow of your boat high out of the water is much more likely to burn more fuel. Instead, try and keep the hull as level to the plane as possible in order to maximise thrust.

If you find yourself having to use excessive trim tab or leg trim, adjust the weight distribution within the vessel. Putting more weight towards the bow of the boat will help her to trim more evenly.

3. Unload unnecessary items
It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the heavier your boat is, the more fuel it will consume and the slower the speed it will cruise at. With this in mind, make sure you remove any items you don’t need from your boat in order to keep the weight down.

Last season’s fishing gear for example, if you’ve got no immediate plans to use it, storing it somewhere else could make a difference to the number of times you’re refilling the fuel tank.

4. Clean your hull
Ensuring you have a clean hull will be one of the biggest factors in helping to reduce drag when cutting through the water, in turn, reducing your fuel consumption. Performance boats can increase their speed by 2 knots by removing even light fouling from the hull. If you can, try to regularly wash the hull and be sure to properly antifoul your boat at the start of every season.

Continues below…

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5. Keep your engine tuned
Regular engine checks will not only prolong its life but also help to ensure that it runs efficiently. There are a number of checks you can complete every time you use your boat but it’s also worth getting marine mechanic to look over your engine at least once a year.

6. Reduce your speed
It may seem like an obvious tip, but sometimes the thrill of speeding through the waves can be more exciting than thinking about how much fuel you’re using. If you’re not in a rush to get somewhere, then reducing your speed is one of simplest ways to ensure you’re using less fuel.

7. Clean the propeller
Keeping your boat’s engine propellers in good shape is another way to save on fuel. Make sure that the engine’s blades are regularly polished and checked for damage. If there are any dents or chunks missing in the leading edge, the transfer of power to the water will be reduced.

It’s also essential to check the tracking and balance on your prop, along with the alignment. Misalignment is relatively easy to check for, but if needs be, have yours measured by a professional repairer.

8. Get your propeller pitch right
The majority of vessel’s propellers will be sized for the maximum speed of the boat, however, sizing them to your cruising speed can help save fuel. It’s probably best to get the work done by a marine engineer, as it’s a delicate job. Investigate at what rpm the best fuel consumption can be achieved and have your props sized to this.

The post Marine fuel saving tips: Save money and make your boat go further in eight easy steps appeared first on YBW.

Spring is officially here and it’s time to get the boat ready for some serious sailing. We’ve rounded up some tips to make sure you are set for the boating months ahead.

1) Inspect your boat thoroughly and rectify any problems you spot. Following the recent high winds, it’s important to check everything is working properly.

2) Create a plan of the key DIY jobs that need completing and aim to do at least one a week.

Hacks for better boating and sailing 

3) Clean your boat from bow to stern and air it out thoroughly. Just like a home, all boats need a good spring clean once a year.

4) Get your boat’s engine serviced – the last thing you want is it cutting out when you’re halfway down the Thames.

5) Stock the fridge and cupboards with necessary items.

Cooking on a boat: delicious meals aboard 

6) Update your boat’s chartplotter using the wifi at home. Trying to use 3G onboard the boat will be much slower.

7) Make sure you have all the required safety equipment on board and that it’s in good working order. Make sure you inspect your life jacket and whether it needs servicing. The RNLI says: “Get your lifejackets serviced annually, just like your engine. If your engine fails you’ll bob around, if your lifejacket fails you won’t.”

8) Make a plan of all the sailing or cruising you intend to do this season. Even if you don’t tick everything off, it’ll motivate you to get out on the water in the first place.

Tips for crossing the English Channel

9) Finally, make sure you enjoy your boat. Don’t waste time doing jobs that aren’t necessary, get out on the water!

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The post Ready, steady, boat: 9 tips for starting the sailing season appeared first on YBW.

Michael Schmidt & Partners have revealed that they have attracted a record number of new brokerage listings to their ‘Boats on Show’ display at Hamble Point Marina, situated at the mouth of the river Hamble, a favourite with sailors, yachtmen and racers.

The ‘Boats on Show’ display and promotion runs concurrently with the Southampton Boat Show but of course Michael Schmidt & Partners are open 7 days a week to show boats.

Michael Schmidt & Partners have been in the business for 30 years and have a reputation second to none in the business. Not only do they ensure a smooth boat buying and selling transaction, but also offer help during the first days of ownership and preparation of the newly purchased craft.

Take a look at their listings on www.msandp.uk or call on 023 80 455 714 or simply pop along to view the selection.

The post Michael Schmidt & Partners’ record number of new brokerage listings to their ‘Boats on Show’ display. appeared first on YBW.

The first thing to decide when buying a boat in Europe is whether you’re going to use a broker or purchase the boat through a private sale. In some cases you may not get a choice depending on the type of boat you’ve found and where it’s being advertised.

There are different things to consider with private or commercial sales in order to make sure you’re covering all the necessary points and avoid common pitfalls.

Using a broker

The most important thing you can do when choosing a broker is to ensure that they are a reputable yacht brokering business. You don’t want to fall in love with a boat, only to find out that the broker doesn’t have any of the title paper work, or does not produce an adequate sale contract to govern the sale.

And when it comes to deposits, you want to feel confident about who you’re handing your money over to, as solicitor and founder of YachtingLawyers Hannah Cash explains.

“One of the main issues boat buyers have is that brokers are going to ask you to provide a deposit and if they are not a reputable, well established broker, you will have concerns about how your money is being held and if will it be refunded to you in the event that something goes wrong. Ultimately you want peace of mind and confidence in the broker especially when buying a boat abroad.”

One of the ways to find a reputable broker in Europe is to use is a member of the Mediterranean Yacht Broker Association (MYBA), similar to the British Marine Federation (BMF) in the UK. The organisation exists to guide brokers on ethical and technical standards and produces standard forms and sale contracts for their brokers to use which are in English.

Another thing to do is visit the broker’s website and see how they’re advertising their boats. Are brokers using other well-known international websites such as YBW or Yachting Monthly. Is the broker’s business address and full contact details provided? If you can’t find genuine examples of these then it should ring a few alarm bells.

Going private

There is more risk involved with a private sale, as anybody can sell a boat and you’ve no way of knowing if they’re reputable.

Instead, make sure you take the following guidance on board and if at any point you feel unsure about the sale, contact a specialist such as law firm YachtingLawyers, who specialise in helping people buy boats at home and abroad and will help guide you through the process.

Sales contract

When it comes to the contract, all brokers (especially those who are a member of the MYBA) should use a standard sales contract. The MYBA standard contracts are internationally well known.

In the event that you’re dealing with a smaller brokerage that doesn’t use standard sale contracts, you should still expect to be given a sale contract. This will specify the terms & conditions of the transaction such as sale price, forfeiture and refund of deposit, complete date, place of delivery, what happens if the survey is unsatisfactory etc.

There are standard forms available online but, unless you’re confident in handling the contract yourself, it would be advisable to seek legal advice first.

One important thing to ask for at this stage when purchasing a boat abroad is to have your contract translated into English and for it to be governed by English law in case a dispute arises.

The majority of brokers should be able to provide this service for you but, if not, make sure you get your contract translated before you sign anything.

Having these documents translated into English will also be extremely useful when you come to sell the boat later down the line.

TOP TIP: Make sure anything you sign is in English

Within the contract it’s important for the person selling the boat to state that they are the legal owner and they have the right to sell it. You’ll also want to see title documentation and evidence that the person selling the boat, does in fact own it.

Examples of title documents include bills of sale, previous sale contract, a builder’s certificate, insurance certificates and registration certificate. If you’re using a broker, then they should hold all this information.

Make sure the owner declares in the contract that they are the legal and beneficial owner, and have the right to sell the boat, which is free from any debts and encumbrances of any kind. This will help to establish yourself as a bona fide purchaser and will protect you if it turns out a bank or a third party owns the boat for example.

Hannah Cash says: “Ultimately buying a boat should be a pleasurable, experience and you should be excited about your intended purchase. The moment it becomes stressful and you feel unsure about the purchase, that is the time to proceed with caution and seek legal advice.“

VAT

If you’re buying a second-hand boat, make sure that VAT (also referred to as IVA in Europe) is accounted for. Ideally you want to see proof of VAT by way of original receipted invoice from the manufacturer or first owner.

If the seller is unable to prove VAT, then you may want to consider whether you wish to proceed with the sale.

If the vessel is not VAT paid, you may want to consider paying the VAT on the boat post sale, however seek advice on this before doing so as the rules are different depending on where in Europe the vessel is being purchased.

Making an application to pay the VAT in the UK can be straight forward, but in Europe the law is VAT is may be payable in the first port of entry, so seek advice if this is something you are thinking about doing.

Please note that this article does not constitute legal advice

The post Buying a boat in Europe appeared first on YBW.

With carbon monoxide poisoning responsible for more than 50 deaths a year in England and Wales it’s important that protecting you and your crew from its harmful effects is taken seriously.

In recent years, several tragic incidents have been highlighted in the press where simple actions such as a installing a working carbon monoxide alarm, could have saved lives.

After giving a talk on the subject at an RYA cruising conference, MAIB engineer and ship surveyor Tony Skeats explains how the public has a low awareness of carbon monoxide and the potential dangers.

Inhaling carbon monoxide can be lethal, blocking the oxygen your body needs, with prolonged or very quick exposure to high concentrations causing severe illness or death.

“The symptoms of CO poisoning include irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness and dizziness. These symptoms are often confused with seasickness or too much drink and often people who experience it don’t receive medical attention”, warns Tony.

The main causes of carbon monoxide building up in a boat include, poor ventilation, exhaust gas from engines, heater outlets, inadequately ventilated or fitted gas powered equipment such as fridges or heaters, or the so called ‘station wagon effect’ where at slow speeds, the exhaust gas is back drafted over the boat.

“The best piece of advice I can give you is to get yourself a carbon monoxide alarm, preferably a marine one as they will last longer, but in any case a carbon monoxide alarm that conforms to the BS and EU standards”, adds Tony.

How to protect you and your crew

• Install a carbon monoxide alarm, test it regularly and ensure it always contains working batteries

• Make sure your crew know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning

• Keep your boat well ventilated

• Keep your boat well maintained, not just the engine, but water pumps and cooling systems on “wet exhausts”

• Have a gas safe engineer examine your gas systems and service them

• Do not user cookers to heat your vessel

• Be aware of other boats beside you, especially if they are running generators or heating systems as fumes can enter through innocent places such as sink outlets

• Make sure you do not block any ventilation points

• Be aware that if you can smell exhaust fumes you are being exposed to carbon monoxide

• If you or your experience the symptoms listed above, get out on deck into fresh air. Seek medical attentions unless you’re sure it’s not carbon monoxide poisoning

Visit the Boat Safety Scheme for more information on carbon monoxide, as well as advice on correctly fitting and maintaining gas installations.

The post Protecting you and your crew from carbon monoxide poisoning appeared first on YBW.

Only boats over 13.7 metres are legally required to ensure they are carrying lifejackets, liferafts, flares and fire extinguishers when they go to sea, however, you’d be silly not to carry them on smaller seagoing vessels too.

It’s well worth ensuring the skipper and all the crew are well acquainted with all the safety kit on board as you just never know when you’ll need to use it.

The RYA offers specialist short courses on offshore safety, sea survival, first aid, and courses for all equipment use on small boats. The RYA also publishes safety at sea books on their online shop.

When arriving on board, especially after the winter, and before casting off make sure you do all engine and safety checks. Here’s a rough checklist to bear in mind:

1. Check the seacocks are open
2. Check the bilge for water and gas/diesel fumes
3. Turn the batteries on
4. Check the engine oil levels
5. Check the raw water strainers
6. Check the coolant level in header tanks
7. Test the fuel pre-filters for water/contamination
8. Check the power steering fluid
9. Check your fire and gas alarms
10. Test the gearbox oil
11. Check the power trim fluid
12. Check all fire extinguishers
13. Turn the fuel on
14. Remove the shore power cable

When doing safety kit checks, it’s recommended you use an approved servicer for your brand of lifejacket, liferaft and other safety kit. Unapproved servicers may not have correct parts, such as the one use vacuum-pack bag in which your liferaft is packed.

Liferafts: liferafts will only be as good as you maintain them, and regular servicing is needed, however, after about 10 years they will begin to weaken, and possibly not inflate when used.

It is highly recommended you organise a waterproof grab bag, and have it readily available on every trip. Useful items to include are:

• Hand held VHF radio
• Hand held GPS
• Spare batteries for the above
• EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons)
• PLB (Personal Locator Beacons)
• Sea sickness tablets and personal medication
• Torch
• Extra flares
• Warm clothing and blankets are ideal, however, there just may not be room for bulky items.

A good liferaft servicer will pack extra items into the raft if you ask, assuming there’s enough space.

Lifejackets: keep lifejackets in a dry place on board to avoid corroding and rusting canisters. Lifejackets need servicing, otherwise welding may start to fail. A ship wheel logo determines compliance with the EU Marina Equipment Directive.

A lifejacket will turn an unconscious person into a safe position, helping to prevent drowning. Lifejackets will come with a sprayhood, which aids breathing, a torch and a whistle. Crotch straps will stop the lifejacket from rising up over the head of the wearer once in the water.

Flares: Make sure all on board know where the flares are and how to use them.

It is illegal to dispose of flares in regular rubbish disposal bins, dump them in the sea or set them off without good reason. You can get rid of them at the place you bought them, or at your marina, liferaft service station, or council recycling centre.

Other essential kit includes:

A first aid kit

Fire extinguishers

Radar reflectors: these should be used on all seagoing vessels of less than 150 gross tonnage if it’s practicable, to enable detection by vessels using radar.

Man overboard equipment such as a life ring or a dan buoy etc.

Related articles

• Guide to rules and regulations for cruising abroad
• Guide to crossing the English Channel

The post Boat safety checks appeared first on YBW.

Marine financing may not cut the cost of ownership ultimately, but it’s a valuable means of extending your buying power and if you combined it with some of the other methods described here, it can be a great way of buying a bigger boat than you might otherwise be able to justify.

Nick Becker took this route when he returned from eight years working in Hong Kong and decided to buy a yacht to sail with his family.

He also wanted to defray costs by chartering his boat, so wanted a yacht that appealed equally for family cruising and to potential charterers.

He chose a Jeanneau Sun Oydssey 45, which sleeps eight people in three cabins.

It cost just over £200,000 and he took out a £100,000 loan through Barclays Marine Finance to help fund it. Barclays were “extremely helpful and competed with other quotes,” he says.

“I was surprised at the difference – I thought the rate would be the rate.

The loan is over ten years and Barclays gave me a ‘holiday’ in the first year, when I paid interest only. The whole experience was without hassle.”

Easing the pain with charter management
One way of cutting the cost of ownership and sidestepping the burden of maintenance is to put your yacht into charter management.

This can be from very small scale chartering for a few weeks of the year, to several months or more.

Having bought his new Sun Odyssey 45, Nick Becker’s next move was to charter her out in a hands-off arrangement.

“That was what really enabled me to buy a bigger boat than I might otherwise have afforded and cover the costs by chartering,” he says.

Becker looked at the yachts already being managed by Lymington Yacht Charters and concluded his would be well looked after.

He had to get the boat equipped with the additional safety gear it needed to meet Maritime & Coastguard regulations for charter yachts, but he says he found Jeanneau agents Sea Ventures helpful.

“They knew exactly what had to be done for the boat to be fully coded.”

Last season, his boat was chartered for 35 days at cost per day, earning £17,500. Out of that, Becker has to pay for mooring, insurance, financing and repairs, plus the charter management company’s cut of the fees.

He is able to block off periods of time for his own use and used his boat for 30 days between April and September last year.

“I come back on a Sunday night and I say if anything needs fixing. The boat is cleaned regularly and they arrange the antifouling, etc. They take all the headache out of it for me,” he says.

However, a yacht in charter is harder used and so has a shorter lifespan. Nick Becker says he will look at trading up in five or six years.

Sometimes, too, there is a clash between when you might want to use the boat and when it can most easily be chartered.

But overall, he recommends it. “If we could push the charter days up to 45 or 50 a year we’d really be on to a winner and I could cover more of the financing.

But basically, you get a lovely boat you can sail with your family and someone’s helping to pay the cost of it.

Owning a boat generally is a poor investment, but this eases the pain.”

Corporate ownership
Tax rules have made it less attractive to buy a boat as an asset of your company or to set up a company to buy a boat, but if your aim is to use a boat mainly for charter or instruction taking only the odd day or week yourself it makes sense, at least by avoiding VAT.

You would have to have the yacht equipped and coded for charter, which can add to the cost.

Once coded, there are scores of private charter management companies that can manage the business of charter and maintenance for you, and if you and they can work your work hard it can be turned into a reasonable investment.

Yacht shares
The most effective way of slashing the costs of ownership and maintenance is to share your boat with a friend, a group of friends, or a syndicate of others.

Between you, you can own shares in a yacht, typically expressed in fractions of 64ths.

The advantages are many – not least that all your running costs are half or less and any repairs, additions or improvements become so much more palatable.

It also means that there are more hands to do jobs on the boat, and different partners usually offer different skills.

You may get to use your boat less, and you’ll have to reach agreement, and compromises perhaps, on everything from where you keep the boat to what equipment you fit.

But the biggest bugbear of shared ownenhip tends to be if owners have differing views of standards or budget for maintenance or improvements.

In general, the smaller the group and the closer your experience and aspirations the better it works.

The other thing to consider from the day a group starts thinking of buying a boat, is what will happen on the day when someone wants or needs to sell their share.

Will the others buy them out, or will you all agree to sell the boat?

Partnerships often run on trust or gentlemen’s agreements, but it is possible to have a contract that will cover who owns what share, how the boat will be managed, time on board is divided and how the maintenance is tackled.

Cross-border leasing
A complex form of ownership whereby an overseas company buys a boat on your behalf and leases it back to you.

There are VAT and other tax advantages in this scheme as they exploit the difference in the application of VAT rules between different EU countries.

It’s a risk as some tax authorities argue that this is a tax avoidance ‘abuse’, specialist agents can make the paperwork simple and it can be financially effective but it only makes sense for larger yachts valued over £250,000 or even £500,000.

The key thing here is to get specialist, independent legal and financial advice before going down this road.

Charter boat ownership
Perhaps the ultimate in hands-off ownership schemes is to buy a charter yacht from one of the big companies such as Sunsail or The Moorings.

They will manage it in exchange for a fixed monthly income, and you get an agreed amount of time on board and the boat back after a certain period, usually 3.5 or 5.5 years.

In some cases, you may even be able to take tax deductions. For many people this is the best and cheapest way to enjoy sailing holidays with a minimum of hassle.

What happens is you buy a yacht of the company’s choice, fitted out exactly as they want it and then it’s operated by them in their normal way.

The programme allows you a certain number of weeks’ use, not only on your boat where she is lying but any similar yacht in any of the company’s locations worldwide.

This is the really attractive bit, and depending on the time of the season you choose, you could get up to 12 weeks’ use – or either take extra income by continuing to charter or by selling that time privately yourself.

After the period of ownership, the company generally agrees to buy back the boat at an agreed percentage, roll the residual value into a new contract or take ownership yourself and continue to sail the boat or sell for a better price privately.

For an owner, there’s virtually nothing to do. From boat buying and equipping to all the paperwork and maintenance, it’s all done for you, and if you put the income equation it’s one of the cheapest ways of using a boat.

So what are the drawbacks? In some ways the same.

It’s hands-off, and you won’t have the same involvement or pride of ownership as buying privately, nor will you have a free choice of yacht type.

Also, charter yachts are well maintained but punishingly used, so the secondhand value after charter will be much lower.

The advantages are very attractive, though, and there is scope for financing, deferred payments, part payments and stage payments.

Hands-off ownership
Time share, or fractional yachting, is a relatively new concept in the UK, but coming up swiftly from leftfield.

It’s best thought of as a yacht sharing partnership that is professionally managed, so for a monthly fee of about £400 you own a yacht with seven others and you never have to bother with any ongoing maintenance or difficult decisions about boatbuying or equipping.

Nigel Jones decided to become a member of SailTime last year, and bought into Hufflepuff, a Beneteau Oceanis 343 based in Hamble.

As a financial consultant he could see the sense of it. “I like the fact that SailTime gives me the ability to get out on a high quality boat in good condition when I want and all at an affordable price.

Plus, I really appreciate the added bonus of having a support network in place to maintain the boat and the possibility of some social activities,” he says.

The ease of getting afloat is another big appeal – the boat is prepared beforehand and cleaned afterwards so when you’re finished you can just lock up and go.

“The ease of turning up, running through the quick routine check list, going for a sail and signing off without having to worry about where to moor the boat, and the flexible booking system makes it really easy to pick a date and just go sailing.

If I owned a boat I would only be able to afford a smaller, less highly specified boat and the mooring costs alone each month would be less than my SailTime Membership cost.

“The scheme is particularly good for sailors who want to use their boat only occasionally.”

Originally published in Your Yacht in 2006.

The post 5 ways to cut the cost of owning a boat appeared first on YBW.

• Speak to the boss

Many dealers are run by a couple of regulars and rely on temporary staff at boat shows (think chinos, blue shirts and Oakleys). These young guys and gals may be very personable but they won’t know the boats intimately, nor will they be aware of what deals can be struck. If you’re serious about buying, then have a word with the head honcho.
• Let the spreadsheet take the strain

Buying a boat is as complicated as signing up for a mortgage. Every company offers something slightly different, making like-for-like comparisons a nightmare. One handy tool can be an Excel spreadsheet. Enter all the variables, extras and costs and you’ll build up a document that should help you see the wood for the trees.
• Extras! Extras!

The cost of extras can add tens of thousands to the price of your boat. Be clear about what you want and whether you want it factory fitted. Some items are easier to install during build, saving time and money, but it can be much cheaper for your local yard to fit other extras after delivery. Some dealers will offer a package of extras.
• Decide what sort of boat you are looking for and you’ll save yourself a lot of looking around

That’s the advice from Ulf Mattsson of Malö Yachts in Sweden. “Work out whether you want a centre or aft cockpit or a deck saloon. Then you’ll need to decide where you’ll be using the boat – in protected coastal waters or offshore. Decide whether you want a boat that will be able to take you anywhere or whether you are willing to upgrade further down the line.”

When looking at manufacturers, remember different nationalities consider different elements of yacht design to be more or less important. “British buyers may focus on the nav station,” explains Ulf. “American buyers may pay more attention to the size of the fridge because of their climate, while protected cockpits can be essential to Scandinavians.”

Deciding what you want on the inside will dictate how big the boat is on the outside. If you have to have three cabins and two heads then don’t look at boats under 35ft. If you can afford a bigger boat, don’t be put off because you’ve only a small crew. “Powered winches, in-mast reefing, bow-thrusters and windlasses all make larger yachts easier to handle,” says Ulf.
• Charter before you choose

A test sail is all well and good but a two- hour jaunt won’t give you a real idea of how the boat handles or what she’s like to live aboard. Can you use the heads at sea? Does the stern slap while you sleep? Is she a dream in light airs but a pig in a blow?

To answer these and similar questions you’ll need to spend some time at sea. Look into chartering the same model. Many owners help cover the costs by chartering their craft and a trawl of the internet may reveal a boat that you can hire for a few hundred pounds. Not a bad investment before spending tens of thousands.
• Dodge the tax

It’s not easy but there are various ways to avoid paying VAT on your new yacht. Perhaps she’s going to be an asset of your company or maybe you won’t be keeping her in home waters. Some French and Italian banks offer ‘marine leasing’ schemes that reduce the tax that has to be paid but delay ownership of the boat until the end of the leasing period. Talk to the RYA, the British Marine Federation or your accountant for more information.
• Make the trial worthwhile

Learn as much as possible during your trial. This may mean doing a series of unseamanlike things to see how the boat behaves. Imagine being aboard in heavy weather.
• Buy an old new boat

Allow your new boat to be put on display at a boat show and you’ll receive a worthwhile discount. Some brokers will pay for berthing and maintenance if they can use the boat for sailing demos.
• Keep an eye on the build

There’s often a waiting list for new boats as some are only built to order. Most builders will allow you to visit the factory and see your yacht take shape. The more you are paying, the more you can get involved. The more interest you take and the more questions you ask, the better your boat will be.

• Drive a hard bargain

The credit crunch is being felt among UK brokers, who are telling clients not to hold out for that extra £10-20,000. Turn up with cash and the odds are good of squeezing the price.

• Read the small print

“Many yards’ standard terms and conditions are very one-sided in favour of the manufacturer,” cautions James Lawson, a partner with marine lawyers, Hill Dickinson. James accepts that it is harder to renegotiate the contract for relatively low-value production yachts than for superyachts worth millions but insists that there’s still a need to be thorough. “You wouldn’t buy a property worth hundreds of thousands of pounds without having a lawyer look at the contract so at the very least study the terms and conditions very carefully,” he advises.

Standard new boat contracts are available from the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) and it makes sense to compare these with those being offered by manufacturers. “Demand a detailed specification and clarify exactly what is included in the purchase,” says James. He also recommends establishing a precise delivery date with the boatbuilders and trying to build a provision into the contract that will provide recompense if the build is delayed.
• Check the warranty

Warranties are another area where you might need to fight for your rights and demand a change to the terms and conditions. “Ensure the warranty period lasts as long as possible and that any repairs carried out under warranty are themselves guaranteed for the same period.” James also advises to check both the yard’s insurance and your own to make sure the boat is covered at every stage: “The vast majority of new boat purchases go through without a hitch. Additional protection can be expensive and there is a balance to be struck between caution and risk. Buyers should at least be aware of the risks they are exposed to.”
• Play the markets

These are volatile times in the world money markets and this can work for or against you. Fluctuating currency markets can add or remove thousands of pounds from the price of your boat. If the Euro is strong it may be another reason to buy British. If you’re investing a lot of money in a foreign-built boat, then consider insuring (or hedging) against major currency fluctuations.
• Protect your investment

Boatbuilders and brokers go bust — it’s a fact of life. Work out how much you can afford to lose and make sure you never put more than this at risk. There are plenty of ways to minimise the danger but none of them is failsafe. Paying in instalments as the boat is built is a way of spreading the cost — but at what point does the boat become yours? If not until 100% of the price has been paid, then you’re still at risk. Builders and brokers should use client accounts but there is little to stop them raiding these. An escrow account allows for the money to be kept by a third-party until all contractual obligations are met.
• Don’t trust the bureaucrats

All new boats sold in Europe have to meet safety standards set out in the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD). Yachts are classed in four categories depending on where they can be sailed. Category A is the highest ‘Ocean’ standard while Category D denotes ‘Sheltered’. These categories can be useful in giving an idea of where vessels were designed to sail but should not be seen as a guarantee of seaworthiness. Some Category A yachts are true ocean cruisers and built to survive gales in the open ocean. Others may survive Force 8 winds and four-metre waves as stated in the RCD but being aboard them at the time would be horrific — they are simply not as capable as some of the better-built boats in the category. The way the directive works also means that some smaller boats within Category B are actually more seaworthy than larger craft in Category A. Take the whole thing with a pinch of salt.

• Join the RYA

The Royal Yachting Association represents boat users in the UK. Adult membership costs from £40 a year and gives access to a huge pool of knowledge. Members can telephone a range of experts for advice, access online information and receive discounts on books and services.
• Buy in bulk

“Don’t buy in dribs and drabs from different suppliers,” advises Graham O’Donnell after buying his new Discovery 55. “If you’re going to be spending a fair amount of money fitting out your new boat then get organised, draw up a list and ask for quotes from several places. We got 15% discounts by buying in one go.”

The post The expert-tested guide to buying a bargain new boat appeared first on YBW.

We’ve put together eight key questions to ask the seller before purchasing a second-hand boat:

1. How many hours has the engine been used for?
2. How often has the boat been serviced?
3. Where has the boat been stored?
4. Is there any warranty left and is it transferable?
5. What does the warranty cover (if applicable)?
6. What problems has the boat had – if any?
7. Why are you selling?
8. How long have you owned the boat and are you the original owner?

Additional tips
When you’re out viewing a boat, it’s always worth asking if you can test-drive her, so you can get a feel for the vessel. In addition to the above questions, you would need to have a survey completed on the boat, along with a thorough inspection. A professional survey will assess the boat’s condition and highlight any problems that need to be resolved.

The post 8 questions to ask when buying a second-hand boat appeared first on YBW.

Many people enjoy searching through classified boats for sale adverts in the hunt for their next boat purchase, and buying privately does bring a host of advantages. Not only can it give both the buyer and seller a better deal, because there are no brokerage fees to pay, it also allows you to deal with the owner directly. You’ll be able to ask about the boat or equipment and, if you establish a good relationship with the seller, it may open up the door for you to ask questions after the purchase.

What are the concerns when buying a private boat?
When buying a boat privately, it is your responsibility to ensure the seller legally owns the boat. You will need to organise your own survey. It’s your responsibility to find out about the history of the boat and to understand any potential problems with the vessel. You’ll have to organise the paperwork yourself too, including any sales agreement contracts.

When buying anything from a private seller, you need to be especially aware of fraud. Click here to read more about how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud when buying a boat.

Some people prefer to buy a boat through a broker because they want support with the boat buying process.

Contacting a private boat seller
Your first interaction with the seller is important. If you get it right, you will be able to sidestep the most common problems associated with private boat sales.

The first thing you need to check is whether the boat is genuinely for sale. If it is, you should check that it’s accessible, clarify which equipment will be sold with the boat and find out if you can view it. A few preliminary questions will give you a sense of whether the seller is serious about selling their boat and if you’d like to view it.

Don’t forget to ask why the boat is being sold, as this may offer a helpful insight into the possible condition of the boat and give you an idea if the owner has taken care of the vessel.

You must check that the boat isn’t stolen. These two websites will help you to check this: www.stolenboats.org.uk and www.boatman.com/stolen.htm

Don’t forget the paperwork
When you buy from a boat broker, they will prepare and collate the necessary paperwork for you. When buying a private boat, you need to do this for yourself. You will be responsible for making sure you have a copy of paperwork such as VAT documentation, proof of ownership, registration documents, receipts for service and repairs and invoice and receipts for the purchase. It’s essential to have all the paperwork, not only for your records, but because you’ll need to pass this over if you sell your boat on.

There is help available; you can get a sales agreement template from the BMF, for example. The RYA is a great resource, offering guidance and paperwork templates to members on their website.

Click here to buy Yachting Monthly’s article on private yacht purchase, which outlines the pros and cons of buying a boat privately in more detail.

Disclaimer: The content above has been published for information purposes only. Whilst every effort has been made to provide accurate and up-to-date information, we strongly recommend that you consult the RYA or the BMF if you have specific questions or concerns about buying a boat.

The post Why buy a private boat? appeared first on YBW.

Entering the lock in Plouer, France. Credit: Alice Crick

Finding boat insurance against loss, damage or theft is not compulsory, but it is common sense.

When you pay your annual premiums you are buying peace of mind; if you have to face a big repair bill or replace some stolen equipment you won’t be out of pocket, and if you suffer a total loss you can start all over again. If, that is, your nerves have survived the experience.

Third-party cover is one element of insurance that is compulsory in many places – on most inland waterways and in many marinas and ports, and a legal requirement in most other countries.

Just as there are companies that specialise in marine finance, so there are those that are dedicated to insuring boats.

But there are a lot more of them, and there’s greater variation in the cost of insurance and in the degree of cover that different policies provide.

The insurers

In shopping around for the best deal, approach only those firms who specialise in marine insurance.

It’s a strangely diverse market; you will come across insurance brokers, insurance company agents, insurance consultants and direct-selling insurance companies.

And behind them are the long-stops of the business – the underwriters who actually carry the insurance ‘risk’, including such well-known names as Lloyd’s, AXA and Royal & Sun Alliance.

Some insurance is placed with underwriters from other European countries, notably Germany.

Premiums

For sportsboats and small sportscruisers, expect to pay between 1% and 2% of their value in annual insurance premiums.

Relatively speaking this figure falls to around 0.5% when you get up to a 40ft (12m) flybridge cruiser.

In deciding the exact premiums, insurers consider the following factors:

Boat’s age
Older boats tend to incur higher premiums. Insuring a vintage wooden boat for more than third-party cover can be very expensive.

Speed
High performance attracts high premiums. Different insurers set different speeds above which premiums rise.

Location
You should pay less for a marina-based boat than one kept on a swinging mooring, and maybe less if you don’t use it in the winter.

Cruising limits
Your policy will specify the limits to which you can cruise; in general you will pay more the further afield and the further offshore you want to cruise.

Other activities
If you want to go waterskiing or ‘tubing’ (towing sausages, donuts and such like) you may have to pay more – that is, if the insurer allows it. Likewise if you want to charter your boat.

Experience and qualifications
If you have been boating for a long time (without accidents) and are an RYA Day Skipper (or better), you should get a discount.
Excess

Excess, the amount of any claim (except for total loss) you pay yourself, varies considerably.

For fast boats, usually those designed to do more than 17 knots and especially sportboats and sportscruisers, many insurers will demand a considerably greater excess on your external sterngear: shafts, brackets, outdrive legs, propellers and the lower units of outboard engines.

Many insurers have a marina-benefits clause, by which excess does not apply in case of damage inflicted in a marina pontoon berth or ashore in a marina.

No-claims bonuses

Most firms offer no-claims bonuses (at least on boats under £250,000 in value), usually up to 20-25% after four or five years, but one or two insurers offer up to 40% and even 60%.

However, when you take out an insurance policy a no-claims bonus may well be built into the first year’s premium if you have had a history of insuring a boat without making any claims.

Comprehensive cover

When you take out insurance on your boat make absolutely sure that it covers everywhere you want to take it and everything you want to do in it.

Cruising range
Check that you have appropriate geographical coverage, such as inland waters only, UK coastal and inland waters or Northern European waters, which is usually defined as Brest (or La Rochelle) to the Elbe.

To go further afield you must extend the area, usually for a small increase in premium.

That may include going onto the continental waterways.

River boaters who want to go down onto the tidal reaches should find out whether they need an extension; on the Thames, for example, river-only use is generally considered to include the tideway through Central London to the Thames Barrier.

Waterskiing & tubing
Sportsboat and small sportscruiscrowners who want to tow skiers and go tubing should be careful to check whether they are covered while doing so. Some insurers won’t countenance such activities.

Trailing
Trailable boats will be covered whilst in transit, but third-party liability must be included in the vehicle’s insurance.

Winter boating
If you want to keep your boat in commission outside the normal summer season you may also need to have your policy amended, especially if you don’t keep it in a marina.

Third-party insurance
Most policies have third-party coverage for up to £2 million, but one or two offer up to £3 million as standard. Others might raise the limit for an increasc in the premium.

Exclusions and warranties

Be sure to read all the small print – the exclusions and warranties – before you sign up for an insurance policy.

General exclusions
These always include war and terrorism, the effects of wear and tear, and theft through anything but forcible entry.

‘Speedboat clauses’
Boats that can do 17 knots are subject to further exclusions.

These can include damage to sterngear and fire or explosion if the engine space does not have an automatic or remote extinguishing system.

You will probably not be insured against loss or damage during racing or speed trials, or if there is no ‘competent person’ in charge.

You may not be covered if you have the boat unattended in an exposed anchorage, or there may be a time limit, such as three hours, for doing so.

It may be well be possible to have some exclusions deleted or modified, including those about sterngear and anchoring.

Warranties
These will include something about your duty of care to maintain your boat properly and to take reasonable precautions to protect it from theft or damage.

Originally published in Your Motor Boat 2004

The post Finding the right boat insurance appeared first on YBW.

There is almost as much variety in engine installations as there is in motor boats. Their relative merits can be a factor in deciding what to buy, and when ordering a new boat you usually get some say in the machinery to be installed.

In boats bigger than about 40ft (12m) you may only have a choice between two or three sizes of twin shaftdrive diesel, but in many smaller craft there are other decisions to be made.

Sometimes you can select the drive system – the way power is converted into propulsion. More often you can take your pick between petrol and diesel engines and/or between single and twin installations.

Drive systems
There are three main methods by which a marine engine delivers its power:

The outboard engine – the complete power and drive package as used in most sportsboats and small sponscruisers;
The sterndrive, as in some larger sportsboats, most sportscruisers in the 20-40ft (6-12m) bracket, and in fast motor cruisers up to between 30ft and 40ft (9- 12m);
The shaftdrive inboard engine, as in nearly all larger craft. A fourth type, the jet drive, is most commonly found in PWCs (personal watercraft), but also powers some sportsboats.

And a fifth, the surface drive, powers many racing boats and is offered as an option on a few high performance sportsboats and sportscruisers.

Outboards
The simplest form of power unit to install, outboard oard motors are clamped (or bolted in the case of more powerful units) to the transom with no need for holes in the hull under or close to waterline.

The engine itself is in a cowling at the top driving the propeller via shafts and a gearbox through what is known as the leg or lower unit.

To steer the boat, you turn the whole unit. On small outboards up to no larger than 30hp, you do this by using a tiller handle attached to the outboard.

From this size (and down to around 10hp if required), you steer using a wheel and throttle connected by cables or, in some cases, hydraulics.

The whole outboard can be raised or tilted by hand on smaller models and by hydraulics on larger units. The hydraulic system can also allow the leg to be trimmed (adjusted in or out slightly) when moving, to change the boat’s running angle.

For low-speed inland use, a rudder attachment can be fitted to the lower unit to give useful, if limited, steerage when the power is off but the boat is still moving through the water.

Until recently, nearly all outboards had two-stroke motors, but most ranges now include four-strokes, which tend to be more fuel efficient and also quieter.

Sterndrives
Take the lower unit of an outboard and connect it via a further 90′ gearbox, universal joint and watertight seal to an engine immediately inside the boat, and you have a sterndrive.

The engine stays in one place, but the ‘outdrive’ leg turns to steer, just as with the outboard. This type of package keeps all the machinery well to the stern and leaves plenty of space for accommodation, which explains its popularity in small cruising hoats.

Modern outdrives can be tilted and trimmed. When tilted, the propeller will be near the surface of the water, allowing it to he more easily cleared if it’s fouled, and in many cases allowing a boat harmlessly to take the ground.

As with outboards, a rudder attachment can be fitted to most outdrives for low-speed inland use, to give limited steerage when you slip into neutral.

Sterndrives are relatively expensive to maintain; any engine servicing that includes work on the outdrive will need to be undertaken with the boat out of the water, and the rubber bellows that provide the watertight seal between outdrive and hoat needs replacing at the recommended intervals.

Shaftdrives
The most conventional propulsion system has an inboard engine driving a straight propeller shaft that exits the bottom of the hull through watertight bearings.

Hence the term shaftdrive, to distinguish it from the sterndrive. Beneath the boat, the shaft is usually supported by a P or A bracket (depending on its shape) and steering is achieved through a rudder, for best effect immediately behind the propeller.

Twin-engined boats usually have two rudders, one behind each prop. On slower craft, the rudder(s) can be very large, making the boat extremely manoeuvrable.

On faster twin-engined vessels, they need to be smaller, to minimise drag and avoid over-steering at high speed.

At low rpm such rudders are not very effective, and you normally use the rurning power of each engine in close-quarters manoeuvring.

A variation on the shaftdrive theme is the V-drive, in which the engine faces the other way nod works through a gearbox that reverses the direction of the thrust.

This allows the engine to be mounted nearer the stern, which usually gains some accommodation space and allows access to the machinery from the cockpit.

Originally published in Your Motor Boat 2006

The post Finding the right engine for you appeared first on YBW.

Use the internet
The internet is a fantastic resource when looking for a used yacht. Boats for sale websites contain tens of thousands of boats and allow you to search by length, design, price or geographical area. You can also add keywords to refine your search.

“Most of our enquiries come through the internet now,” says Robin Hodges, a yacht broker with Patrick Boyd Multihulls. “There’s a good selection of boats and buyers can easily compare prices.”

So the internet is the place to look, but with so many boats to choose from where should you start? Deciding the length of the yacht you want is a good beginning, advises Robin. The number, age and ability of crew, along with type of mooring, will help determine the length overall (LOA) of the yacht you are seeking.

Bigger boats are more spacious and stable but with larger sails and greater loads they can be harder work to sail. The equipment on board will also be more expensive to maintain or replace.

Once you have an idea of your ideal length it’s time to see which boats might fit the bill in your price range. If you come across designs that you’re not familiar with then head back to the web to search for owners’ associations which are likely to give more technical details and photos as well as an idea of what owners use their boats for. It’s also worth visiting www.ybw.com where you can search through an archive of magazine boat tests and order copies.

If you’re still all at sea then talk to a yacht broker. Of course they’ll be keen to sell you a boat, but they’re also likely to have a broad experience of many designs and should be able to point you in the right direction.

For a more objective opinion you could employ the services of one of the many surveyors who operate boat finding services. They’ll combine their expertise and experience with a network of contacts to track down a boat that will suit your needs.

View your prospective boat

After hours of online research, combined with browsing the classified sections of your favourite sailing magazines, you’ll be itching to step aboard a reallife boat.

A wasted trip to look over a boat is frustrating so do your homework first. Ask the seller or broker to provide as much extra information as possible including the age and condition of engine and rigging.

It may be possible to see a previous survey and ask to be sent as many digital photographs as possible. If these are not forthcoming, ask yourself why.

Buying a yacht is a major investment and it is worth travelling a long way to find the right one. Cheap flights mean that most corners of Europe are within a few hours reach and the more distant the boat, the cheaper it is likely to be.

Do I need to make a deposit? Should I use a broker?

“If you’re buying privately, don’t pay a deposit,” warns surveyor, Chris Berry. “If you get the survey back and there are material faults then you are entitled to your deposit back, but some sellers simply refuse to refund it.”

Chris advises agreeing the sale privately, then approaching a broker to handle all the paperwork and see the deal through. “The broker can handle the deposit and should charge less than their standard commission.”

Brokers’ deposits are usually up to 10% and should always be put in a ‘clients’ account’ . While this does not protect the funds entirely, it does mean that they should be returned to you if the broker becomes insolvent.

“Brokers can help renegotiate prices if the survey finds material faults,” explained Jane Gentry, chief executive of the Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association.

“They can also help ensure the boat is compliant with the European CE regulations and any VAT documentation is in order.” Builder’s certification and RCD documentation are other seas of red tape that a broker can help you navigate through.

The Royal Yachting Association, British Marine Federation and Yacht Brokers, Designers and Surveyors Association can all advise on the boat buying process and produce standard contracts. But before the deal is done you’ll want to get a boat survey.

Why do I need a boat survey?

There is no formal qualification in yacht surveying and it is possible for almost anyone to set themselves up as a surveyor, so how do you know which one to choose? Membership of a professional body such as the Yacht Brokers Designers and Surveyors Association or International Institute of Marine Surveying is a good start. Such organisations insist that their members have professional indemnity insurance and that could be invaluable in case of a dispute.

“A surveyor does more than just advise on the material soundness of a yacht,” says Jane. “They can advise you on the suitability of the boat and suggest how to deal with defects and the costs involved. They can also oversee repairs or refits.”

A well-written and thorough survey report can be crucial to negotiating a sale price but one thing to beware of is brokers’ ‘pet’ surveyors.

“Brokers should not recommend a specific surveyor,” explains Jane. “They should provide a list of local surveyors and allow the client to ring round and choose one independently.”

There are many good brokers who do not belong to professional bodies so ask around.

“Find out which surveyor people use in your local yacht club,” advises Jane. “If you mention a name and everyone raises their eyebrows then find someone else.”

Important boat sale documents

Make sure you know just who is selling the yacht you think you might buy. You need to establish if the yacht is privately owned by a single owner, by a partnership or syndicate, or by the seller’s company. As a general rule, the bigger and more expensive the yacht, the more likely that there is some complexity in her ownership.

This is especially relevant where VAT is concerned. You must also make sure that the yacht is the seller’s to sell, and that she comes unencumbered with other people’s claims. A yacht on the Part 1 register will have a title history, in particular a record of whether there is a mortgage registered on her. The Ships Register offers no such history and SSR registration is meaningless in terms of who has title to the yacht.

Other documents you should ask to see include the original Builder’s Certificate, the original receipted VAT invoice and the signed forms of contract and Bills of Sale concerning the yacht from the time of her launch right up to the present.

Negotiating a boat sale

With the survey in hand, it is time to go back to the broker or private seller and agree a final price. If the sales description matches the survey there’ll be little room to negotiate as you have already agreed a price in a legally binding contract. If the survey unearthed serious faults you can either take back your deposit and walk away or renegotiate.

Before you hand over the money, ensure that you are absolutely clear about what is included. Owners may have taken gear off over the winter and you shouldn’t pay for items on the inventory until you’ve inspected them. An inventory that looks impressive on paper may turn out to be made up of worn sails, rusty outboards and out of date charts. On the other hand, items that you presume are included may be removed if they don’t appear in the inventory.

There are other advantages to buying a previously owned boat. Any niggling teething problems will have been discovered and most likely sorted out. Undersized winches will be replaced, squeaky lockers will be oiled and loose cleats tightened.

Old boats start to develop their own faults of course, but if you buy a boat that’s been well used you’ll know that she’s in a usable state.

The post How to buy a used yacht appeared first on YBW.

In recent years it has been almost impossible to miss the multitude of TV programmes telling you how to sell your house.

A quick coat of magnolia and the smell of freshly baked bread is said to win the hearts and minds of house-hunters, but what does it take to sell a boat?

A professional approach is all-important whether you use a broker or sell your yacht privately.

Don’t give a prospective purchaser a reason to say no, and the chances are that they’ll say yes.

Down below
The golden rule when selling a boat is that less is more. Take almost anything that is not screwed down off the boat. This includes charts and pilots, booze and stores, crockery and cooking kit.

A potential buyer needs to be able to envisage themselves as owners and the more of your kit there is on board, the harder this will be.

You may be throwing in a spare sail, but don’t leave it on board. It’ll take up room and reduce the feeling of space – and spare sails always smell. And smell is your enemy.

A damp-smelling boat speaks of neglect, so do everything you can to keep the air fresh and dry.

Dehumidifiers and heaters are a must in colder months and the bilges will need hours of scrubbing.

Use an engine-cleaning spray to give your diesel a facelift and make sure the bilge below it is spotless.

Toolkits and spares should be taken off and stored as well.

Once the boat is stripped, it’s time for the cleaning to start.

There are valeting companies at all major boating centres and they know how to do a really professional job.

On a newer boat this is money well spent as they’ll get her looking as good as new.

On deck
It may pay to call in the pros to work on the exterior too. A thorough polishing of the deck can bring back a showroom gleam that will draw buyers away from another less sparkling boat.

Touching up patches of chipped gel-coat also adds to the overall impression.

Take a look at your lines. The mainsheet is likely to be staring you in the face everytime you emerge from the companionway.

If it is looking tired and mouldy then spend a few pounds to replace it.

Old dodgers and weather-beaten horse-shoe buoys should also be removed. You may have got used to them but to a prospective owner they speak of the sea miles your boat has already logged.

Everything should be left shipshape and Bristol fashion, suggesting a boat that has been well looked after.

Location, location, location
Where should you sell your boat? In some sailing hotspot like the Hamble where there are dozens of similar boats, or in some farflung backwater where yours may be the only one of its kind and so face less competition?

The backwater technique is a dangerous one and if you want a quick sale then there’s safety in numbers.

Having chosen your location you must decide whether to leave the boat in the water or haul her out.

If you want a quick sale then out she must come as few people will buy a boat without a hull inspection.

A new coat of antifoul and a polish will again help speed your sale and drive up the price – after all, would you buy an unwashed car?

The final piece in the seller’s arsenal is a mini survey. Spend a few hundred pounds on a basic examination of the boat that you can make available to buyers and you’ll be bounds ahead of the opposition.

Buyers may not even ask for a full one if they’re happy with what they read.

Going for brokers
The benefits of a boat broker are obvious. They do everything above for you then put the boat in a spot where it’s most likely to sell: among the rows of other used vessel.

Choose a broker with care. Many specialise in a builder and their books will be full of clients who are after a particular make.

Look through the small ads in magazines like Yachting Monthly and Practical Boat Owner and you’ll soon get a feel for where to place your yacht.

Going to a specialist also allows you to tap into buyers who were after a new boat but realise that they can’t afford one and so go for a used boat of the same type.

Always ask what the broker’s service includes and don’t be afraid to haggle. Discounts may be available if you buy your next boat from the broker that sells your current vessel.

Asset stripping?
Think carefully about what you include on the yacht’s inventory. As a basic rule there is no point including an item that you will then need to buy for your next boat.

Liferaft, dinghy, flares and crockery won’t be dealbreakers, and if they’ve been taken off before viewing, the buyer won’t feel hard done by.

Electronics should not be removed as this creates a miserly impression and can put buyers off.

On the other hand there is no point in adding items to make a sale. Radar and roller furling may be attractive to prospective buyers but a well-turned-out boat without them will win out over a better-equipped scruffy boat of the same price.

Originally published in Your Yacht 2005

The post Tips for selling a boat appeared first on YBW.

Get your boat in great shape
The better your boat looks when you come to sell, the more likely someone is to want to buy it. First impressions count for a lot and with competition in the market being pretty tough, it’s important to make sure your boat stands out from the rest.

So whether it’s having the topsides professionally re-sprayed or replacing a few worn parts, spending that extra bit of cash will help towards a quicker sale.

Give her a thorough clean
After you’ve carried out all the necessary works and repairs, make sure you clean your boat from bow to stern in order to attract a potential buyer. Always ensure it’s presentable when pays the boat a visit. Remove any extra gear cluttering up the place: the buyer won’t expect it to be included in the sale and your boat will look bigger and better cared for.

Photographs are your friend
Your advertising campaign will play a big role in how quickly your boat sails off the shelf.  Make sure you have some great photos, and plenty of them, that will entice a potential buyer. If you can, take them on a sunny day, against an attractive backdrop. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words, and you want all of them to be attracting a buyer for your boat.

Take plenty of pictures from all angles so a potential buyer can get a good feel of the boat before they come to visit. There’s nothing worse than turning up to view a boat and find out it wasn’t actually what you were looking for.

Determine a price
Take a look online and see what similar boats are being sold for. If you’re looking for a quick sale, it’s always better to offer as competitive price as possible in order to entice a buyer. It’s also worth having your boat valued by a professional so you can determine its value and ensure you’re selling at a good price for you.

The advertising campaign
Display ‘For sale’ signs on your boat and advertise both online and in magazines. Those great pictures you’ve taken will come in handy here. When placing boat ad online, be sure to include plenty of detail about the boat and its specifications, as well as using plenty of pictures of the boat from a variety of angles.

The post Top five boat selling tips appeared first on YBW.

Lifelines: should extend full length and be well secured at frequent intervals.
Towing eyes: one either side of the bow is best for stable towing with a painter eye on the bow itself.
Davit eyes: if the tender is to be stowed in davits it needs secure strops taken to internal eyes which balance the boat.
Transom: an alloy transom is lightest and most durable.
Seats: a well-positioned rowing thwart is essential. Inflatable seats are comfortable and can be moved slightly to accommodate long or short legs. Rigid seats can have stowage pockets underneath.
Oars: the forgotten art. Perfection is a long, strong shaft, curved blade, secure, universally jointed rowlocks, and easy stowing clips.
Splash and spray protection: a rubbing strip deflects spray, splash guards along the top of the tube and between transom and tube keep solid water at bay.
Handles: two strong, comfortable lifting handles at the stern are essential. Two more at the bow are desirable.
Securing strap: essential if you have a remote tank or to strap down heavy items. Make sure the floor is protected in that area too.
Stowage: somewhere to keep the shopping and spare cloths dry is essential. The usual options are an under-seat bag, bow bag and/or bow spray dodger. The bigger the better.
Pumps: air-bed floors need high pressure pumps (up to 11psi) so make sure you have the best and most efficient pump you can get hold of.
Chafe protection: Make sure the bottom and sides of the tubes and the centreline, at least, have extra protection.

This article was first published in Your Yacht 2006

The post Twelve things to look out for when buying a tender appeared first on YBW.

Transoms, ribs, rigids and folding: the range of dinghies used for tenders is many and varied. But there is general agreement, at least in the marketplace, that a medium-sized, inflatable dinghy, with a transom and an inflatable floor is the tender of choice for most cruising yachts.

So why are they so popular? Are they always best and what should you look for?

The popular choice

The reasons small to medium-sized inflatables are so popular are not hard to find:

– They are tough and durable
– You can bump into things without doing damage
– They are comparatively light
– They fold away into a reasonable small space
– They are very stable
– They have a high load capacity
– They work well under power and are reasonably efficient under oars
– Your feet remain dry with the floor inflated
– There is one at a price to suit you, from under £400 to nearly £2,000

With such a wide price range there are clearly big differences between the large number of brands. The main variables are:

Size
Inflatables suitable for yacht tenders start at around 2.00m (6ft 6in). This is an adequate size for a small yacht and will be capable of taking two people safely with a small (2 to 2.5hp) outboard.

To carry four in safety in choppy conditions you will need to go up to 2.90m (9ft 6in) or more.

Inflatables this size will take a 10hp motor although this might be heavy to handle. A popular size is 2.60m (8ft 6in), which will take three adults and maybe a child and is a good balance between capacity, size and weight.

It is easily launched from a small foredeck, weighs a portable 30kg or so and packs down to a stowable size.

Materials
Generally, the more expensive the inflatable, the better quality the material. At the top of the tree is Hypalon which has the longest warranty period (ten years).

Most dinghies use PVC-coated fabrics. The heavier the material, by and large, the more durable it will be. Fabric life warranty will be around five years.

Tubes
Dinghies of yacht tender size usually have two or three inflation compartments plus floor and keel.

For safety the more the better but for easy inflation and deflation, two is enough. Tube diameter is also important. Fatter tubes keep backsides further from the water, provide a softer ride and keep water where it belongs.

On the other hand big tubes are heavier, bulkier and more expensive.

The alternatives
Just because the vast majority of tenders rowing or puttering across the harbour have essentially the same configuration, doesn’t necessarily make it the best for you.

There are alternatives and they have advantages.

Ribs
Rigid inflatable boats have GRP hulls with inflatable tubes to provide buoyancy and protection.

They combine many of the best features of sports boats and pure inflatables. But the rigid hull means they are comparatively heavy and do not fold down for stowage on board.

They are best for larger boats or those that carry the tender in davits. They can be fitted with larger engines so can double as a fun boat and as a tender for accessing a remote mooring.

Rigids
Few yachts will carry a rigid dinghy on board these days. Difficult or impossible to stow, launch and recover they are just too inconvenient. But as a means of transporting people and kit from shore to a remote mooring they still have advantages.

Tough, easy to row and power, they also have high internal volume for a given size. They can be used as a sailing tender and children’s fun boat once anchored for the day.

Foldables
There are a few folding semi-rigid dinghies on the market. The former is a multi-purpose sailing dinghy/ tender that can be stowed along the sidedeck of cruisers from about 10m upwards.

They are vulnerable in bad weather offshore and not particularly good load carriers but for family fun, during a holiday cruise, they can be a good choice.

This article was first published in Your Yacht 2006

The post How to buy the best tender appeared first on YBW.

When it comes to selling your boat, the first thing you need to decide is whether you want to sell with a yacht broker or go private. While there are advantages to both, this guide explains the benefits of working with a yacht broker to sell your boat.

A yacht broker will match your boat with prospective buyers for a one-off commission, which you pay only once the sale has been completed.

Andy Cunningham manages yacht brokerage firm Michael Schmidt & Partner. He said using a yacht broker usually proves cost-effective and worthwhile, especially if a deal starts to unravel.

“If a private sale breaks down, it’s only the lawyers who benefit,” he warned, “and it could be months before the boat can be sold and free of dispute”.

Cunningham explained that yacht brokers will manage the entire sales process for you, from advertising the boat and dealing with enquiries to organising viewings.

Once a buyer has been found, a yacht broker will organise the contract so each party is clear about what is being sold. They will also hold the deposit in a separate account, gather the owner’s paperwork, negotiate the transaction and arrange the Bill of Sale to pass to the new owner.

Any outstanding debt on the boat will be settled before the keys and paperwork are handed to the new owner, once the funds have cleared.

He gave us his top reasons why you should consider employing a yacht broker to sell your boat:

• An objective eye
  Presentation dictates the price of a boat. A broker will give you a realistic appraisal of your boat and identify areas that need work or might be unappealing to prospective buyers – It’s hard for an owner to be objective about their pride and joy!
•  Pricing
  There is a marked difference between the asking price and the real value of a boat. Anyone can check how much similar boats are being advertised for but a broker will know how much they actually sell for.  A realistically priced boat will attract sensible offers and you can be ‘harder’ on your pricing. Often the first offer is the best as it comes from the keenest purchaser.
•  Place & Position
  If you are going to sell your boat, it needs to be seen. Some yacht brokers have raised viewing platforms at popular boatyards and marinas, with power and water fed to the boats and easy access for potential buyers.
•  Promotion
  You can advertise your boat online yourself but it will take time and money to manage.  A broker will do this for you as part of the service.Sites like eBay might be useful as research tools but they are not the best portal to use to sell your boat. Any sensible purchaser is going to want to view the boat rather than bidding blind, which means the whole transaction reverts back to the normal sale-and-purchase style rather than an online auction.
•  Private viewings
  A broker will show people your boat at weekends and accommodate those who miss appointments.

Click here to search for a yacht broker.

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When buying your new yacht you will be surprised at the low levels of boat safety equipment supplied as standard – maybe just the lifelines round the deck edge, a couple of fire extinguishers, a bilge pump and perhaps a handful of wooden bungs.

The boatbuilder doesn’t know your sailing intentions, and with such a variety of equipment to choose from, they simply leave that choice to you, together with the cost!

Even when buying a used boat, you will find that some of the safety kit will have been removed to go on board the sellers’ new boat, leaving you to find and fund this, too.

Where you sail and how you sail will affect what level and the amount of equipment that you need.

If you’re interested in joining in with the racing at the club, you’ll find that there is a list of required safety equipment before you’ll be allowed to start racing.

For cruising you’ll need to think about where you intend to go, the time of year and how many people you’ll have on board.

We can define four categories of sailing with a different safety emphasis for each level:
1. Day-sailing, with no overnight passages.
2. Coastal passages, which might involve a some sailing in the dark to reach the next port.
3. Offshore – maybe a trip across the Channel or a week’s cruise.
4. Ocean voyaging, where you may be at sea for multiple days, with no access to the shore or harbours.

Your equipment must match your expected proximity to a safe haven or assistance, and a larger boat and crew will demand a higher spec of kit.

Safety management is all about your preparation and detailed planning for dealing with possible emergencies that may occur on board your yacht.

Emergencies may come in many forms, from life-threatening situations like a man overboard (MOB), to inconveniences like a steering failure, which could easily escalate into a much larger problem very quickly.

If most of your sailing is going to be within ten miles or so from the shore, then help is going to be readily available to you from the Coastguard and other nearby vessels.

Priorities for your emergency planning should be MOB, water ingress and fire. And wherever you sail, carry lifejackets for everyone on board.

Lifejackets
Put simply, don’t go to sea without them.

There are two sizes of inflatable jacket available: 150 Newton and 275N. The 275N is much larger when inflated, so don’t expect to be able to do much, and even when folded away they are still quite a bit larger than the 150N.

There is a variety of prices for lifejackets, and so you need to be careful to check the specifications, as you really get what you pay for here.

The most recent advance in safety has been the fitting of spray hoods. These stop windblown spray from entering your lungs when you’re just inches from the sea surface.

My advice is to go for a complete lifejacket with spray hood, harness and whistle, rather than trying to buy add-ons later.

You’re going to be at sea at night at some stage, so make sure you carry a light and have reflective tape fitted.

Also look for comfortable crotch straps, to stop the inflated lifejacket from floating over your head in the water.

Man overboard
A serious danger that can happen on any boat is a man-overboard incident.

It’s surprisingly hard to get someone back onto even a small boat, and one of the biggest dangers is losing sight of them and never finding them again.

You should invest in a good system for MOB recovery, and you and your crew should be confident in its use.

There are several systems on the market for marking and even lifting the causality on board, like the Jonbuoy system, but there is nothing wrong with the simplest method – a horseshoe lifebuoy and danbuoy.

The danbuoy is essential to give a clear indication of the causality’s position, as the flag will be flying up to 2m above the surface and is much easier to spot than a person’s head in the water.

A whistle and a small drogue to slop it being blown about will complete your kit.

What if my boat leaks?
What would you do if holed or the boat springs a leak? Your boat will have at least one manual bilge pump fitted with a strum box to filter out any debris, but what if it can’t cope?

Many strum boxes are now being permanently fitted into the bilge, thus making them all but impossible to clean when under a lot of water.

The simplest failsafe method, often quoted, is a frightened man and a bucket – no moving parts or electrics to fail and it’s cheap to fit!

Have at least a couple on board, but get ones with strong handles as you’re bound to use them over the side on a lanyard, and the cheap ones always pull out.

Fire on board your boat
Fire is another serious hazard that you can be better prepared for with a little forethought.

Take a look at your yacht’s possible danger zones: the galley, engine space and electrical panel.

If you have a gas cooker then you should have a gas detector in the bilge and/or underneath the appliance.

Being heavier than air, gas will sink into the bilge and collect with the air into an explosive mixture.

Foam, powder or CO2 extinguishers are best located near to the galley and engine space, as these locations are likely to contain oil, fuel and electrics, so fire extinguishers should not be aimed at them.

Consideration should be given to getting inside the engine space if it were on fire, as opening the compartment will introduce more oxygen to the area.

You can get some excellent engine room-mounted extinguishers activated by excess heat, or units operated by pulling a cable.

A cheaper way would be to make a hole in the engine compartment and have a metal opening plate, then aiming your standard extinguisher inside the area safely.

For small fires, such as fat catching alight while cooking bacon, all that is needed is a well-placed fire blanket so you can smother the flames fast and with minimal mess.

Communication and flares
With any emergency, communicating your needs to others is a high priority. In coastal waters a VHF is all that’s needed to communicate with the Coastguard and other yachts and ships.

GMDSS sets are becoming standard now and they have the benefit of a one-touch distress operation, which can transmit a data-burst containing your vessel name and MMSI number.

If you have registered your details with the Coastguard, they will know what you look like and even what kit you have on board, which will greatly help them in assisting you.

As well as the VHF, a simple radio will keep you informed of the weather forecast, so you can decide when it’s best to return to port and call it a day.

If you’re having a really bad day and water has knocked out your electrics, you will need a set of flares to attract attention. These are best kept in a dedicated floating box, ready to pass on deck.

Smoke flares are really much more useful than you might think, as they are obviously good during the daylight hours, and at night help to show the wind direction to lifeboats and helicopters when lit up with good torch or a hand-held flare.

Finally, one thing that often gets overlooked as basic safety kit is the anchor. Having reliable ground tackle is both comforting for a good night’s sleep, but also essential in an emergency to stop your yacht drifting into danger.

Heading offshore
For longer coastal trips there is the chance that you may be caught out in some bad weather while trying to get home, so it becomes a priority to keep the crew securely attached to the boat.

Well-attached wire or webbing jackstays should be fitted to both sides of your yacht, so you can leave the cockpit and get to the bow while always being clipped on.

There should be attachment points in the cockpit too, so you can lean out to attach yourself before exiting the hatch – you’re at your most vulnerable when coming straight out the companionway on deck.

With longer overnight and offshore passages it would be prudent to carry some more parachute flares with you, as you’re more likely to be out of sight from the land.

Parachute flares can be seen from 30 miles or more, and are always best let off in pairs to confirm your distress situation to that sleepy watch-keeper. Most standard packs only give you two attempts.

When crossing shipping lanes you need to be sure that you are seen, so your best chance is to have a good positive radar signal displayed on the bridge of the passing traffic.

The standard octahedral aluminium reflector is very good at maximising your target area, but tends not to get put up as often as it should.

If you’re planning to sail regularly offshore, then it’s better to fit a reflector up the mast permanently, or for even more peace of mind fit a SeaMe active enhancer, which amplifies and retransmits your signal making you look a much bigger target on the transmitting radars.

An addition you should make to your toolkit is a good hacksaw with plenty of blades or a good pair of boltculters. If your rig should fall down offshore, you need to be able to clear it away quickly so it does not puncture your hull and cause you more problems.

Abandoning ship
If you’re venturing further away from the shore, then you should now be considering a lifecraft as part of your equipment.

You will need to know how far offshore you’ll be and how many crew you’ll have aboard to decide what specification your raft should be.

As with lifejackets, you really need to check the specs first, as there is a huge variety of sizes (four, six, eight-man etc) and the contents vary greatly.

You should always make up a grab bag to take with you if you have to get into your raft – you can add to this if your choice of raft has been limited by budget.

You can make a grab bag yourself by buying a large dry-bag and loading it with a spare VHF, handheld GPS, first-aid kit, extra flares and other safety equipment.

Ocean crossing
When preparing for an ocean crossing, you need to be totally self-sufficient in everything, including your safety gear.

Your communications gear needs to be higher spec for both general use and for your safety needs. Firstly, an EPIRB with a hydrostatic release mechanism is a must, so it can float free if you don’t have the time to grab it in a serious emergency.

Your liferaft and grab bags will have to be assessed carefully. A few water containers placed near the liferaft will be an easy way to increase your survival time in the raft, together with some extra kit in the grab bags, like food, clothing, torches and batteries, and maybe even a sat phone, so you can keep in touch with the shore and rescue services.

Finally, we recommend that you spend time becoming familiar with your safety equipment and the procedures for using it.

Being confident in how to use it is vital in ensuring it’s used properly. It’s always hard to spend money on safety kit you hope you’ ll never use, and it’s tempting to pack it all away on board and forget about it.

But as soon as an emergency situation develops, you will be wishing that you had spent more time researching and buying good equipment.

Originally published in Your Yacht 2006

The post Putting boat safety first appeared first on YBW.

For the past two months, our lives have been
dominated by the process of selling our blue water cruiser Do It.

On our first day in Southsea Marina we
received a text – could Bob come and see the boat? He’d been following our
website, knew the boat was for sale, and wanted to see her as soon as we
arrived in the Solent. He just had an hour free, but after a quick look round,
confirmed that Do It ‘ticked some of
his boxes’.

A few days later an enthusiastic young chap
called Olaf who was looking for a boat to live on board in Oslo visited us.
Angus suggested he should sleep on it, and make us an offer the following day.
Enthusiasm, great!

The next day, Olaf made us an offer and we
accepted. The champagne was popped and plans were made to move ashore. The following
day he arrived to sign the contract and hand over the money. Could it really be
so simple?

After several hours of deliberating, and
peering into the bilges, Olaf decided he couldn’t really afford the boat and
walked away.

Subsequently a brokerage website advised us: “The
more enthusiastic people are during a viewing, the less likely they are to
actually buy the boat. The serious people are those who appear taciturn and
unimpressed.”

Thankfully Bob returned for a second visit. We probably relaxed and told Bob too much about systems
which might require work in the future and he used these ‘defects’ to argue for
a reduced offer.

Try before you buy

Against RYA advice, we agreed to do a test
sail before securing a deposit. Since Do
It isn’t a standard production boat, we thought this was fair.

The forecast for the agreed day was nasty -
so we rescheduled, and ended up test sailing in a light F2. Sails went up &
down, reefs in & out, cruising chute up & down, anchor down & up.
More manoeuvres than we do in a week of voyaging.

Back into the marina, and Bob left, giving no
clue as to his future intentions.

Negotiating a price

Finally the negotiations started. With only
one interested buyer, we weren’t in a strong position. We had decided what our
out absolute bottom price would be – and that’s what Bob offered. His advisors
reckoned the trusty Perkins needed to be replaced. We don’t agree – but if we
lost this sale, how long would it be before another potential buyer appeared?
Friends have been trying to sell their steel yacht for five years – holding out
for the price they believe she is worth. We decided a firm offer was worth
holding on to.

Completing the survey

This is the real nail-biter. Would the
surveyor find faults we didn’t know about? What would his ultrasonic testing of
the hull reveal? There was an apprehensive wait until the survey date, a tense
visit by the surveyor, and an anxious few days before the results were known.

It was a huge relief to know that Do It passed with just a couple of minor
defects. Of course the defects kicked off another round of negotiations – What
work was really required? How much would it cost? Who would pay for it?

Having come to a mutually agreed position,
the deal was sealed.

Walking away from Do It

One final big task remained – removal of our
belongings from Do It. It’s
astounding how much kit we’ve carried round the world – we’ve almost filled a
garage, and raised the water line by six inches.

Today the RYA ‘change of ownership’ was
signed, and the bankers draft deposited into our account. As I type this, Angus
is giving Bob a final briefing on how all the boat systems work.

This evening we will walk away from Do It for the last time. The old adage
about the two best days of boat ownership: the day you buy, and the day you
sell, still holds true. There will be a spring in our step, but also tears in
our eyes.

Ruth and Angus Ross-Thomson
have been keen sailors since they were children and their love of boats is what
brought them together. After eight and a half years of enjoying everything this
steel blue water cruiser has to offer, they’ve made the tough decision to sell
and spend a few years on dry land here in England.

The post Securing a buyer for our boat appeared first on YBW.

We are returning to our cottage in Hampshire to spend a few
years gardening and exploring the UK via campervan. There is a plan to do more
cruising, but not for 10 years – too long to have Do It sitting unused in a south coast
marina. I know I shall shed more than one tear when we sell her, but for a blue
water cruiser to be tied to a marina dock is akin to keeping a wild animal
in a cage.

Preparation for the big sale

We have always maintained Do it in good condition, but wanted to
make sure she looked her absolute best when she hit the market, so preparation
for her sale started in the Caribbean in January, where we had the topsides
professionally re-sprayed. First impressions count.

We knew that we would need a series of photographs when we
advertised Do It online, so spent a sunny day in St Lucia de-cluttering the
boat and taking plenty of pictures from all angles. We are not trying to sell a standard production boat, but
rather the “dream” of a blue water cruiser. The dream looks more tempting with
turquoise water in the background.

Over the course of our circumnavigation we maintained a website,
to which we added a new “For Sale” section detailing the systems &
inventory, and containing all those lovely pictures we had taken. The advantage
of this is that the wider website provides all the “traveller’s tales” to tempt
someone to head offshore, but conversely also gives the “warts and all”
accounts of when things go wrong.

With a few days to spare in Antigua, we created two bright
red “For Sale” canvas signs which can be attached to the guard wires or
rigging.

The advertising campaign

On our arrival in the Orkney Isles in mid-July, we were
interviewed by the local BBC radio reporter, which led to the first serious
“expression of interest” from a listener to the show. Radio advertising was one
option we hadn’t considered.

Our first thought when deciding where to advertise Do It,
was to place an advert in Yachting Monthly and we opted for the 1/16^th
page advert with the online option. The September edition hit the streets on 22 August, so we spent the
following days with the phone always to hand. The October edition generated two
contacts.

In order to widen the reach of our online advertising, we paid
for a “featured” advert. In the past month, this has generated
two contacts from organisations seeking to advertise Do It in their
publication (for a further fee) and one genuine contact.

When we arrived in Premier Southsea Marina in mid-September,
the staff allocated us a berth with the best advertising potential. We are tied
alongside a dock facing the marina office, and overlooked by the café &
restaurant. The canvas “For Sale” signs were promptly secured, and whilst we
have not attracted a buyer, word of mouth advertising never hurts.

Admitting to ourselves that our online advertising may not find us a buyer, we decided to also engage a broker with the hope of casting the net a little wider.

Options for the future

Whilst at Southampton Boat Show, I spoke with to a company who
offered a “fixed fee” approach to brokering, with an up-front payment to be
listed on their website and linked to many others, followed by a conveyance fee
should they find you a buyer. This is an option we may explore next month if we
have not attracted a buyer.

Check back for updates on how the sale is going.

Ruth and Angus Ross-Thomson
have been keen sailors since they were children and their love of boats is what
brought them together. After eight and a half years of enjoying everything this
steel blue water cruiser has to offer, they’ve made the tough decision to sell
and spend a few years on dry land here in England.

The post Selling a boat for the first time appeared first on YBW.

Set a budget
Before you set foot on a single deck you need to think about how much money you want to spend on buying a boat. This might be a monthly repayment or simply an amount of money you are prepared to invest in your hobby.

It might well change as you start your search but you have to narrow the market somehow and price is an easy way to do it. It’s worth remembering that if costs get out of hand it’s very difficult to have fun, and fun is why you’re here.

Costs to consider

• Boat purchase price / monthly repayments
• Moorings – approx £350 per meter per annum ie 10m craft costs £3500 pa
• Fuel
• Servicing – approx £500 per engine per annum
• Maintenance and lift out from £500
• Insurance
• Survey report

The post Buying a boat advice appeared first on YBW.

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If you’re new to the world of buying a boat it can be a daunting prospect. This introductory guide will give you a checklist of important steps to consider when you’re searching the thousands of boats for sale, whether online or around the brokers’ yards.

The first the first thing to do before you set out is to set a budget for your boat. Even if this changes at a later date it’s a good way to narrow the market. You can see some costs to consider here.

Once you’ve got a bidget in mind, it will help to decide what you’re using the boat for. The market can be broken down into a variety of types but you’ll need to ask yourself how and where you’ll be using the boat.

If this is your first foray into buying a boat then you’ll need to get to know the market. The internet is a rich resource for the first time researcher and of course there are a number of magazines to pick up from the shops.

Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to get out there. Pictures may tell a thousand words but there’s no substitute for getting out on the water.

If you’ve found your perfect boat, it’s time to hit the paperwork. Whatever you do don’t jump in with an offer before you’ve sat down with the vendor or broker and discussed ownership, service history and other such bring matters – it will help you sell your used boat in future.

If you’ve made it this far then it’s time to make an offer and put down a deposit. As with buying a house there is no restriction on what tht offer is – offer what youthink is a fair price based on your research. Check out our boat buyers guide to get an idea.

Once an offer has been accepted, it’s time to get the surveyors in. Boats are complex machines and you will need a professional to see whether the boat you’ve chosen is in good condition.

It’s very rare to get a demonstration before a deal is made so this comes furhter down the line than you might expect. There’s a lot to be aware of during a sea trial so check here to make sure your’re prepared

If everything so far has gone well then it’s time to pay. Payment methods depend on whether you’re buying privately, from a broker or buying new so read our advice here.

Finally, you need to be aware of the after-sales costs – admin, mooring and legal costs can all add up so make sure you’re aware of the pertinent costs.

The post Boats for sale – Buying a boat appeared first on YBW.